How to Read Literature Like a Professor
Dialectical Journal Assignment
During Reading
1. Keep a dialectical journal as you read. See attached information sheet.
Record one entry for each chapter.
Choose one quotation or idea from each chapter and respond as instructed.
Student Sample for Quotation:
Chap. 19---“Geography Matters”
Quote:
“…when writers send
characters south, its so
they can run amok.”
Response:
Well, first I had to look up the meaning of amok.
Once I knew that, I began to think about all of the
times I have said something has ‘gone south’ when
I just meant things had gone bad. I was an author
and didn’t even know it! I know I will look for this
literary device from now on. I will know it
foreshadows an upcoming problem or
disaster for the characters.
---AND---
Record one thing you learned from each chapter.
Student Sample for Idea:
Chap. 12---“Is That a Symbol?”
Idea:
The author says that
anything I think is a
symbol IS a symbol and
that that symbol can have
personal meaning to me
Response:
I love this idea. For all of my school days I have
been told that this or that was a symbol, and this is
what it meant. I love the freedom of this idea. I
I know that every time I read about a sunset, I think
about my wise and loving grandfather who loved
them. Sunsets usually mean death, but not to me.
To me sunsets are symbols of that dear man. I love
I love the idea that it can actually be ok to have my
own ideas.
2. Keep a vocabulary journal.
Choose any 5 vocabulary words from the text. These should be words that you do not know OR
words about which you feel unsure. It is YOUR choice.
Make an entry for each word. Include for each word:
--The word
--The dictionary definition of the word
--The line of text in which the word appears.
--The page number of that line.
--A potential connection for you with that word (This includes a time/place/reason where you
would/could use the word OR your thoughts about the word.)
--An original, creative, complex sentence that uses the word
Reading Schedule
Your dialectical journals are due on the following dates:
Chapters
"One Story," Chapters 1, 5, 7
Chapters 9, 12, 19, 21
Chapters 4, 6, 20, 26
Chapter 14
Due Date
November 11
January 10
March 14
May 2
Grading Criteria
You will be graded on the quality, thoughtfulness, creativity, and accuracy of the entries.
After Reading
You will write an essay using the information from the book.
1. Choose one of the following: The Iliad, The Canterbury Tales, Romeo and Juliet, or A
Tale of Two Cities.
2. Write an essay focusing on the following: allusions, archetypes, setting, symbols, and
ironies contained within your chosen work.
3. You must submit a formal outline featuring your thesis by April 4.
4. Your rough draft needs to be submitted by April 25.
5. Your final copy is due May 16.
What is a Dialectical Journal?
A dialectical journal is another name for a double-entry journal or a reader-response journal. A
dialectical journal is a journal that records a dialogue, or conversation, between the ideas in the
text (the words that you are reading) and the ideas of the reader (the person who is doing the
reading---YOU!). This is what you must do in your journal—keep a dialogue with
yourself. You will have a conversation with the text and with yourself. Write down your
thoughts, questions, insights, and ideas on specific quotes, symbols, plot events, literary devices
while you read.
What type of notebook should I use? Can I use a notebook from another class?
Your journal must be a composition notebook or spiral. You will use your journal for Honors
Western Literature only. You need to be able to turn in your journal and leave it with me
without worrying about your Science, Math, or Social Science notes.
How do I keep a dialectical journal?
Your journal will use a two-entry form:
Imagine the page is divided in half.
In the LEFT COLUMN, write down quotes, ideas, parts of paragraphs from your book
that you think are interesting or important.
In the RIGHT COLUMN, write down YOUR OWN thoughts, commentary, and
questions about these entries in the LEFT COLUMN. DO NOT simply explain what the quote
means.
Look at the sample entries on the assignment sheet.
How does Mrs. Smith grade dialectical journals?
Journal entries will be at least five to seven sentences long. The latter grading criteria will be
based on thoroughness, originality/description of thought, grammar, spelling, and mechanics.
When I am writing in my Dialectical Journal, is there a Right and Wrong answer?
NO! A dialectical journal shows your own thoughts and ideas about the readings. When you
write in your journal, you should be as original and creative as you can be. The sky's the limit!
.
.